King Abdullah addresses UN meeting on interfaith dialogue

November 13, 2008

King Abdullah addresses the UN General Assembly meeting on interfaith dialogue

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz stressed the importance of dialogue among faiths in an address at the UN General Assembly meeting on peace through dialogue in New York today.

“Throughout history, preoccupation with differences between the followers of religions and cultures has engendered intolerance, causing devastating wars and considerable bloodshed without any sound logical or ideological justification,” King Abdullah said.

“It is high time for us to learn from the harsh lessons of the past and concur on the ethics and ideals in which we all believe.”

“We state with a unified voice that religions through which Almighty God sought to bring happiness to mankind should not be turned into instruments to cause misery.”

Terrorism, crime and the dissolution of the family unit are global problems that are fostered by an absence of tolerance, the King said. Constructive dialogue will allow peoples and nations to rediscover their shared ideals, conquer evil and provide mankind with a just, secure and prosperous future.

King Abdullah also called on the participants in the World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid this past July to elect a committee to follow up on the global dialogue initiative and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to ongoing dialogue.

“Our concern for the dialogue stems from our Islamic faith and values and our compassion for the human condition in order to overcome its miseries,” the King said. “We will continue what we have commenced, extending our hand to all those advocating peace, justice and tolerance.”